Canon PowerShot G15, now with f/1.8 lens and more compact body

The Canon PowerShot G12 has been a favorite prosumer camera by enthusiasts who don’t want to jump to DSLRs and are limited by point-and-shoot cameras. Canon recently launched its successor, the Powershot G15, in time for the holidays with a price tag of Php28,998.

You might be wondering why the skip from G12 to G15. Blame it on superstition as “13” is a universally unlucky number while four sounds like an unlucky word in Japanese.

So what has changed from the PowerShot G12 to G15? First of all, even if the G15 has the same 28-140mm equivalent focal length range as the G12, the lens is much faster at f/1.8-2.8 rather than f/2.8-4.5. That’s a lot of improvement with low light situations and gives you more blurred background when at the long end of its 5x zoom.

The PowerShot G15 also has the fastest autofocus system in its class which according to Canon is 53% faster than its predecessor. What you will be missing from the G12 is the articulated LCD display as the G15 has a fixed 920k-dot rear screen to keep the body more compact.

The 12-megapixel CMOS sensor is still limited to 1/1.7″-type which is smaller than the G1X and is the same as the smaller PowerShot S110. It now uses a DIGIC 5 processor and has an ISO range that maxes out at 12800.

There’s also now a dedicated movie record button as the G15h can give you Full HD video recording with lens that can zoom in or out and focus while recording. There’s also stereo sound from its built-in microphone.

Aside from the typical mode dial on top, you’ll also get a dedicated exposure compensation dial for more precise EV control. There’s also a toggle dial up front common to DSLRs to quickly adjust settings selected with your thumb.

If you’re a fan of the PowerShot G-series and it’s time to replace your old one, the PowerShot G15 would be a logical upgrade. The Canon PowerShot G15 is already available with a suggested retail price of Php28,998.